Methods and apparatus to provide visual information associated with welding operations are disclosed. An weld training system includes a display, a camera, a communications device, and a welding helmet. The communications device communicates with welding equipment. The welding helmet has a view port. The communications device is configured to hold the camera, the communications device, and the display such that, when the welding helmet is worn by a wearer, the display is viewable by the wearer, the camera has a view through the view port such that the display displays to the wearer images taken by the camera through the view port and displays a simulated object generated based on information received from the welding equipment via the communications device.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
2. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the smartphone or tablet computer is configured to execute an app to simulate an arc.
3. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the smartphone or tablet computer is configured to generate and overlay virtualized versions of an electrical arc and a resulting welding bead.
4. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the smartphone or tablet computer is configured to generate and overlay graphics illustrating weld data.
5. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the display is operable to provide a wearer's vision of a weld scene.
6. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the smartphone or tablet computer is configured to summarize and display weld performance for a training weld in a post-weld summary interface on the display.
7. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a speaker configured to output at least one of a simulated arc sound or a simulated gas flow sound.
8. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the smartphone or tablet computer is configured to process images captured by the camera to extract a characteristic of the weld scene, and generate a simulated object over the weld scene based on the characteristic.
9. The weld training system as defined in claim 8, wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of a torch type, a torch condition, a welding consumable type, or a weld joint type.
10. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a communications device configured to communicate with equipment to detect a start of a simulated weld operation or an end of the simulated weld operation.
12. The weld training system as defined in claim 11, wherein the image processing including object recognition.
13. The weld training system as defined in claim 1, wherein the virtual object comprises at least one of a virtual arc, a virtual weld pool, virtual spatter, a virtual wire feed, a virtual weld bead.
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January 3, 2023
January 2, 2024
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